Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Just FYE





Love these boys.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Bringing home the bacon...or some form of ultra cheap pork product

I still can't believe that I got a kid that looks like me. They really don't look alike at all.

Anyway...about three days before Tate was born, I got a job offer to write some articles for a weight loss website. Perfect timing right? Literally, I haven't worked for over a year. I pretty much stopped for Thanksgiving and Christmas 2008, then decided to apply to law school over the next four months, and then I got pregnant and sick and almost widowed while my husband relocated to the dental lab; so somehow I never really got back into applying for any writing jobs for like fourteen months. And then out of nowhere, I received an email to write for this website while I was not-so-patiently awaiting my son's arrival.

Aside from the timing though, this little part time job has been so nice. I have been working about two hours a day, which is absolutely ideal. I hope this one lasts for a little while; I feel like I have such a complete sense of balance, which I don't get any other way, when I do something I like and get paid for it. Not only that, but working also forces me to get more done earlier and more efficiently since I know I have to spend the kids' (whoa, I have kids ) nap time working. Anyway, I love it. And I am glad for the opportunity, even if it is short-lived like the other miscellaneous projects I have done since becoming a mom.

Oh, and get this: Adam (in all his spare time...ha!) is working a little bit too! He has been editing study cards for the dental board examination. Honestly, sometimes I don't comprehend how he manages to do all the things he does. But it's kind of cute, really; we put the kids to bed and sit down every night around 8pm to work for an hour. So between the two of us, we are like ALMOST holding down one part time job!!! We are moving closer and closer to being fully functioning members of society!

In other news, here are some pictures of my not so very little little man. You may be wondering if I am feeding him butter....it would certainly appear that way. Either that, or someone is injecting it right into his cheeks.








Friday, April 9, 2010

What do you think?



Is this who baby Tate looks like?



PS This is me

Happy Birthday Eli




Dear E-
Happy Birthday (2 days late...) my big little boy. I cannot believe you are three. Three years ago you made me a mom; three weeks ago, I made you a brother. And you have been such a good one. I know most of the time you just don't want to do what I tell you; but we'll pretend that you are just filled with brotherly love and concern for Tate when you tell me, "Oh, no! I just gotta go check on baby Tate." And I laughed my head off when you told your Nannie what was wrong with Tate's belly button: "Um, it gots poop in it."

Eli the last three years, just you and me, have been a riot. Literally. I have loved watching you mature and become the quirky little hilarious creature that you are. Your beautiful blonde little head and your smooth tan skin remind me how much I adore you when your often erratic behavior might otherwise place you in jeopardy! I love everything about you Eli: I love that you remind me so much of your dad. I love the songs you make up, the questions you ask and I even love your clever forms of evasive disobedience. You are a crazy crazy little child and I love you for it. You keep me always on my toes. I am so happy that you are the first of our family...there is no way that, with you as an oldest sibling, we won't just have a total blast together.

*** Eli got to have his Grandma and Grandpa Burr here for his birthday. And it was quite a day: He went to the breakfast buffet at the Marriot, made a trip to Costco (complete, of course, with running laps around "the cold" and seeing the wash,) received his great grandparents for a lunch call, went to a petting zoo, ate at the Spaghetti Factory and opened presents which he has since (36 hours later) been playing with non stop.



Monday, April 5, 2010

My first day alone with two kids

I have spent more of the day screaming at Eli while my baby was screaming than I would care to admit. But I did make it into the shower and neither of them are starving to death. And my in-laws will be here in approximately three hours. So good first day.

No, I have not found my rings. On to happier things.

The last two weeks have pretty much disappeared. The first week I had Adam home all week, which was wonderful; he took Eli camping for one night and we went down to the beach for a day. I love the picture of Eli with his walking stick; he looks like an Old Testament prophet in jeans! And doesn't my husband rock for taking the kid AND the dog AND taking pictures?





The second week of Tate's life, my mom and sister came and we had a wonderful time hanging out, admiring baby, walking, making repeated runs to Target, and being entertained by Eli. I was sad to see both of them go and must admit that, at least today anyway, I really wish that I lived in Utah. I know that is silly....your mom only cleans your bathrooms, ovens, stovetops and does your laundry WHILE taking care of and coddling your two kids in between repairing all of your husband's favorite shoes if you live in a different state. So I suppose the spoils of the past week are a direct result of living away from my family.



I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for a mom who taught me so well how to be a mom. This is a tough business. I have a mom who manages it all so well, who is so competent at so many things and who is also beautiful and fit and funny and smart. I don't know how I would figure all of this out on my own if I hadn't had a mom (and grandmas, and aunts and so forth) who did it all with such seamless grace.